The pandemic convinced me: home fitness is the future. After the Great Reopening, I will continue to work in my living room, because I like it.
Why? Comfort, accessibility and quality of training. Whether I’m at home or traveling, working 15 minutes or 45 minutes, it certainly goes beyond what I used to do: fighting for a place in a boot camp class and paying too much for privilege.
I’ve already written about my favorite fitness apps and setting up my DIY stationary bike. I recently wondered, as hybrid work will make us work – and train – from home: should I take my living room workouts to the next level with state-of-the-art connected equipment?
In an effort to find out why people spend thousands of dollars on equipment and hundreds more per year for live workouts, we set up a smart gym: a SoulCycle At-Home ($ 2,500), a workout screen Mirror ($ 1,495) and an Echelon Stride treadmill ($ 1,300). Meanwhile, my colleague Joanna Stern tested the future treadmill of Peloton Interactive ($ 2,495, on sale May 27).
Internet-connected hardware adds experience in a number of ways. Products usually have a large display designed to convey courses. Personal training values, captured by the sensors, are displayed on the screen. Many have a social component, such as the ability to compete in a live ranking. All the models we tested require customers to sign up for a $ 40 monthly subscription.